November 1997
Worshipful Master
Richard Hunt
November
1997
Trestleboard
Arcana Lodge #187
Ancient Free & Accepted Masons
November 1997 |
|||
|
Worshipful Master
November |
|
Calendar |
News From the East - Arcana Congratulates 50 and 25 Year Members
On October 27th at Arcana’s annual awards dinner we recognized eight brothers who have been members of Arcana Lodge for 50 years. Five of these brothers were able to be with us that evening and are pictured below along with our District Representative Worshipful Brother Gerald Chartrand, and myself. The three brothers who were unable to join us are Roland Antoine, Harold Johnson, and Milford Studell. We also recognized two brothers who received their 25 year membership pins.
From the left: Harold Boetcher, Harold Fischer, Worshipful Gerald Chartrand, Worshipful Richard Hunt, John Miller, Peter Tema, Marvin Saline.
Until next time, may the blessing of Heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons.
Fraternally yours,
Richard Hunt, Wor. Master
What do Masons refer to when we talk about ‘cable’? I’m not talking about a new television channel, but the terms "cable-tow" and "a cable's length from shore." At a glance these phrases seem to be among the few but fascinating expressions which Freemasonry seems to have borrowed from the nautical vocabulary.
Cable-tow in Masonry is symbolic of the first ties between an initiate and his new brethren. In Old French cable means ‘a strong rope’ and Anglo-Saxon togian is ‘to draw.’ Perhaps the phrase originated from the German kabel tau.
Although the English, the Scottish and the Irish are obviously islanders and have always been nations of sailors, the possibility of direct links between Freemasonry and the world of seamen remains largely unexplored.
I have on occasion heard people familiar with the naval language and doubt whether the term "cable tow" was actually borrowed from it. Interestingly, while the rope exists in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, it has no naval connotation at all, and most of its symbolism is transferred to the "houppe dentelée" or knotted rope which surrounds the Lodge at that rite, and which also has no naval connotation. It is possible that two quite different and separate symbols got intertwined (which is normal for ropes, after all!) during the centuries of Masonic practice and probable borrowings.
The word "tow" derives from the Middle English, where it designed both the rope itself and the action of pulling with a rope. In the Dutch language the word "touw" (pronounced tow) still refers to both senses.
The word comes from the Old English base "deuk", to pull, and the Old English "togian" (like the word "tug") through the Middle English "towen".
As a noun, "tow" also means the coarse and broken fibers of hemp, flax, etc. before spinning. As an adjective, it means of -- or resembling -- tow (like in tow-headed).
The etymology of this form is different: It comes from the Old English "tawian", to spin, through the Middle English "tew", to spin.
The two homonymous words mingled their meanings in modern English. The English word "cable-tow" therefore etymologically is a duplicate and designates today the cable (thick rope) used by ships to tow other ships. In the sailing days this cable made of intertwined hemp had a fixed length, because it needed to be long enough to avoid collisions between the two vessels and not too long in order to avoid rupture of the tow. The cable is still used at sea to measure shorts distances.
In a two-word phrase, emphasis denominates the more important; a dog house is a house for a dog; a house dog is a dog for a house. Hence cable-tow is a phrase in which tow, or the power to tow or pull, is important and the cable but the means.
The "length of a cable-tow" has been endlessly debated. Present day thought is that the "length of a cable-tow" is the scope of a man’s reasonable ability. A man crippled and with a broken crutch might find ten feet "beyond his ability" while a wealthy man with his own airplane and no pressing duties might find several hundred miles "within his ability."
"A cable-tow’s length from shore" refers to a measurable distance. A "cable’s length" is 12O fathoms in the US Navy, 100 fathoms or 1/10th of a nautical mile in the British Navy (one fathom is equal to 6 feet).
A cable length's from shore was considered in the old days to be the minimum distance (in the North Sea) from where it was safe to go at anchor, because in this region the tide ebbs and flows about one cable length's from the shore, thus leaving the ship dry on sand and rendering it unable to leave at low tide in case of urgent need.
A seaman sentenced to capital punishment would be tied to a pole placed on the beach on the low tide line was sure to suffer a slow death as he would be inevitably drowned when the tide rose.
Of course its length in Lodge is usually shorter than 720 feet!
I again would like to thank all the brothers who helped with the lodge dinner and especially those who helped make the Widows dinner a great success. The brothers that were not able to attend missed a very nice turkey dinner, enjoyable conversation with our widows, and an excellent performance by a four piece female acappelia group who are part of the "Sweat Adeline's". Nest year, please do yourself a favor and join us as we remember our departed brothers and commune with their widows.
Fraternally yours,
Doug Roswold, Senior Warden
The following Brother has answered the roll call of the Grand Architect of the Universe:
Elian A. Schander
| MM | 02-05-26 |
| Passed on | 10-04-97 |
Outstanding Mason of the Month
Vern Bandel
Arcana Lodge is proud to acknowledge the outstanding Mason of the month for November, Vern Bandel. He has been a member of Arcana Lodge since 1963. He is an active and vital member of the Lodge haveing served as Chaplain, and a trustee for a number of years. He is serving as the Worthy Patron of the Eastern Star for the fifth time, and is also a past Grand Patron of the Grand Chapter of Minnesota. In November he will be installed for a three year term on the credential commettee of the General Grand Chapter
Sunshine Visitation Committee for the Ill or Homebound
| Kevin Erickson, PM | 781-7352 |
| Henry Maday | 721-4077 |
| Ted Kern | 636-2544 |
| Ed Theisen, PM | 789-8490 |
| Al Nagele | 788-3908 |
| Wendell Wuori | 788-8574 |
 |
All Temple Christmas Party Sunday |
Arcana Lodge
Annual Meeting, Elections and Osyter Stew Dinner
Monday night, December 8th, 1997
7:30 pm
Arcana Lodge
Open Installation of Officers
Saturday evening, December 20th, 1997
7:30 pm
 |
Best wishes from James
R. Higgins 2214
Central Avenue NE |
|||||
 |
|
This publication is issued with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M of Minnesota.
Send stories, ideas or comments to:
Doug Roswold, Editor at dougr@spacestar.net
This page was updated on February 05, 2000 by Doug Roswold
